Teen Advisory Groups

Here you will find information about the YALSA TAGs Committee, and you can share information about your own teen advisory group too. This space is meant to be used as a collaborative tool to share TAG applications, policies, guidelines, activities, best practices, links to sites, and so forth.

Getting Started

Recruitment

To recruit members for our High School TAB (is what we call it), the person in charge of the High School group comes to the last yearly meeting of the Middle School TAB and talks up the High School TAB group: monthly meetings with pizza, visiting authors (such as John Green), trips to ALA when ALA meets in D. C., etc. We have the prospective members write down their email address so we can contact them once school starts. It works great! We have a very active TAB group and some lively discussions. The High School program is so successful, that last year it happened that our High School TAB was meeting on a prom night and a couple of girls showed up in their regalia and sat in chairs (unlike the usual sitting on the floor) among the rest of the group who were in their torn jeans or shorts and flip-flops!
Maria E. Gentle, Youth Services Librarian
Arlington County Public Library, Arlington, VA

I went out to the Teens who always hang out on the hill outside our library and started a conversation. I asked them why they never came in, and they said that it was because we never did anything they wanted to do. I suggested that they attend a TAG meeting -- at which I always provide pizza! -- to discuss some program ideas. They took me up on the offer, and now they are some of the most active Teens at our library!

I tend to rely on word of mouth. We advertise the program in our monthly newsletter. But I ask the kids to bring a friend to a meeting. Or bring their brother or sister who has come of age. We went from having a group of 2 to have 12-16 regular members.

Brian Schwartz, Young Adult Librarian
Patchogue-Medford Library

My public library is starting up a TAB this fall. We're going to hold an open panel discussion for 7-12th graders (and parents) in September for those who are interested in getting more information. We've invited a couple TAB members from a neighboring library plus their Teen Librarian to share about their experiences as part of an active teen advisory board and field questions from the audience. Applications will be made available starting Sept 1--we're hoping for 10-15 members to start off with. Our kick-off meeting will take place at the beginning of Teen Read Week in October with a Pizza 'n Paperback Book Exchange party.
--Megan Ower, Teen Librarian, Palatine Public Library (IL)

The Teen Advisory Board at the Indianola Public Library (IA)started by recruiting the teen volunteers we had in the summer each year. I figured they were coming in to help out with storytimes and programs, they might as well help with planning too!
--Natalie Struecker, formerly Adult and Teen Services Librarian, Indianola Public Library (IA)

Activities

Coffee House With a Cause

When I was working with the Hauppauge Public Library in Long Island, NY, the TAB organized a "Coffee House with a Cause" program every December. The entry fee was a non-perishable food item that we donated locally, and the teens could perform music, readings, or poetry. We had a piano in our meeting room which was helpful, but teens played a variety of instruments including guitar, flute and violin. We served hot cocoa and cookies. If performances ran thin by the end of the program (which was 90 minutes) we whipped out the karaoke machine. It was by far my favorite program of the year! - Alison O'Reilly (currently Teen Services Librarian with the Austin Public Library)

Crafty TAG

I always have a fun craft that I do with my TAG. We get the business done in the first half of the meeting and then we get crafty. It's usually something simple--they love cutting up old magazines (which I've got a TON of) to make picture frames, collaged notebooks, buttons and more or making friendship bracelets (which many of them had never done!). It's something fun, cheap and easy that they can do while brainstorming (or chatting or eating) and they really enjoy it. -- (parenthetically yours) Liz Andrews, Teen Services Librarian, Ocean County Library, NJ

Resources

Web Resources

The following articles were written by Christopher Brown, former Co-President of Martin Library's Teen Advisory Board. At the time of writing, Christopher was 17 years old. All articles were published, with modifications, in the Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Library Association, and are reprinted with permission.